Companions: Nightmare
by TenshiNakama
Summary: Part of the Companions Series. The Mugiwaras have escaped from Logue Town miraculously unscathed, and are on their way to completing their dreams on the infamous Grand Line! Or are they? Rated T for character death.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello all! It's us again—me and my good beta Kieri! This is our second story in what we think will be a much longer series, composed of multiple short fictions—and when I say short, I actually mean that this story is going to have about nine chapters…which it is.

In any case, I figured this story deserved a more in-depth description than our first, because it marks the beginning of our venture to write what we have affectionately named 'The Companion Series.' As you may have noticed, the title of this fic is preceded by the word 'Companions,' as will all of our following fics dealing with the adventures of the Mugiwaras—from this identity, at least. And for those of you who read our earliest composition, 'My Boys,' you might take note that I have since changed the title to suit this new development.

I suppose the main thing I need to explain to our readers is that these fics take place in a specific order, and since I don't want to take up too much space in our summary trying to go into that, I will simply make clear of that here in the AN. This 'issue'—Kieri and I have taken to referring to each of our respective Companion tales as such—takes place between 'My Boys' and the soon-to-come (meaning directly after this is finished) 'Issue 3.'

Heehee; thought I was going to give you a preview, didn't you? Shneeky shneeky! Well, I would, but we haven't exactly come up with a title for that one yet, but when we do, I'll let you all know.

So now just sit back and enjoy the latest in the Companion Series, and be sure to review! Remember—all grammatical and otherwise compositional complaints are to be directed to me; as I am the actual writer. Kieri just comes up with all the cool ideas…well, maybe not all of them.

Omigosh I just wrote a page's worth of AN! Gotta stop! Disclaimer: Kieri and I have played enough with the characters from One Piece to own them, but we really don't and deeply regret that, so yeah; no sue.

Hope you all like it!

—Koru-chan

Chapter One

The storm that raged in the waters close to the Red Line was unlike anything the people of Logue had seen before. Of course, being the closest town to the Grand Line in the East and South Blue, its people had seen many oddities and awe-inspiring individuals in their time. Even so, the high winds and threatening crashes of lightning that this storm put forth seemed only suiting of the chaos that the strange pirate crew had left in their wake.

The tiny vessel was sloshed about in the surf, its figurehead bobbing up and down over the waves, but never leaving sight of the lighthouse that would point the way to its destination. Inside the cabin of the ship, its passengers seemed relatively unaffected by the sick lurches. The blonde cook was working steadily over the stove to create a feast in celebration of their coming this far; careful that none of the ash from his cigarette get anywhere near the various pots and pans he had over the flame. Sitting astride one side of the bench that served as a dining table, the green-haired swordsman's biceps strained against the weights he held; teeth gritting over the strain, but visible in his unconstrained smile. Across from him, the long-nosed sharpshooter boasted to anyone who would listen—which was not many, considering how long each of the crew members had known him and his inclination to falsehood—of his heroic feats; defending the kick-fighting cook from a hundred—no, a thousand!—Marine soldiers with his slingshot, all while being thrashed about in the storm they were still caught in. It would have surprised the rest of the crew that the red-haired navigator paid him so much attention, but everyone's mood was so good, they didn't want to risk anything that would threaten their elation—like annoying the thief with stupid questions about her preference in conversational companionship at the immediate moment.

"So there I was!" Usopp recounted for Nami, complete with dramatic arm movements and voice tone. "Salt stinging my eyes; seawater my mouth and nose; great currents threatening to suck me under! But with my nakama in danger, what else could the Great Captain Usopp do, but come to their aid!"

Nami thought she heard Sanji chuckle at the mention of this, but didn't much care, and continued watching amusedly as Usopp jumped up and began mimicking his own flailing movements in the water just hours ago.

"Pounded on all sides by the waves of the great storm, I fought to hold myself afloat with just my leg power, as I drew my weapon and fired shot after perfectly-aimed shot at the soldiers!" Usopp fired an invisible slingshot around the room, making sounds with his mouth that suggested gunfire.

"After all," he went on to say, leaning close to Nami and pointing at his eye. "A sharpshooter's eye is always trained, and a sharpshooter's hand is always steady!"

"Are his legs always made of jelly, as well?" Nami asked with a smile, pointing at the shivering appendages.

Usopp laughed nervously, trying still to hold onto his story while Zoro let out a great laugh.

Before Usopp could muster the effort to gather together the pieces of his shattered pride, Sanji swung around and set a load of plates on the table.

"Dinner is served!" he announced proudly.

Everyone helped themselves to what was there, Zoro doing so one-handed as continued weight-lifting with the other.

"Oi, Zoro," Usopp said between forkfuls. "You gonna keep that up all the way to the Grand Line?"

Zoro cracked one of his arrogant smirks at the gunman.

"There have got to be a lot of strong swordsmen on the Grand Line," he said, voice betraying none of the effort he was putting into the said training. "Can't waste a second if I'm going to be strong enough to beat them all!"

Usopp tried to mirror the swordsman's expression, but only ended up looking corny.

"Good idea!" he said. "If I'm going to be a great warrior of the sea, I'd better get to my own training!"

He picked up his slingshot and started towards the door that lead outside. He didn't get a couple of steps before a fierce crack of lightning split the sky and a roll of thunder sent the liar scuttling back to his seat.

"—right after the storm stops…" he mumbled quickly into his plate.

This gave everyone a good laugh, and the meal continued light-heartedly for a while until Zoro stopped suddenly—both his eating and his training—to ask a curious question.

"Hmm," he mused. "Why isn't the food disappearing off my plate?"

Everyone looked at him, then realized for themselves what he was talking about—the usual rapidity with which food disappeared from the table was not in effect. Something was missing.

"Where's Luffy?" Sanji asked.

"I saw him outside," Usopp said. "He was sitting it that favorite spot of his on the bow."

Wordlessly, Sanji rose from his place and went to the door of the cabin. Opening it just wide enough to admit his head, his hair whipped about his face violently in the storm. He squinted through the rain at the head of the ship where, just as Usopp had said, their captain sat, clutching his hat to his head, facing their appointed route to the Grand Line.

"Ooooiii!" Sanji bellowed over the storm. "Luffy! Food!"

To Sanji's surprise, Luffy didn't turn around; he didn't even move. A second call yielding the same results, Sanji turned back inside and closed the door against the gale.

"Must not have heard me," he thought aloud, smoothing his hair. "Oh, well. We get a meal in peace, for once!"

Usopp raised his glass. "I'll drink to that!"

He and Sanji clinked glasses and took long swigs. Nami rose from the table.

"Where are you going, Nami-san?" Sanji asked anxiously.

"I'm finished," Nami replied. "Would you mind taking care of my plate, Sanji-kun?"

"Anything for you, Nami-san!" Sanji sang, dancing around the table to sweep her plate up and off of the table as she slipped out of the cabin and onto the deck. Keeping her feet shoulder-width apart for balance, Nami made her way across the deck to the masthead slowly but surely. It wasn't hard for her to navigate the top deck in such a storm; Nami knew how to face any type of weather with confidence.

Once she had reached the bow, she put both hands on the front rail to watch the profile of the young man who was sitting on the figurehead of the boat. Nami could only make out the red of his vest, the yellow of his hat and the white of his teeth through the rain, but knew from memory the black of his hair, the scar beneath his left cheek and the childlike glee of his carefree grin. This was the captain of the Mugiwara Kaizoku; the infamous Monkey D. Luffy; the man who had saved her from a fate worse than death. The man who was going to become king of the pirates.

"Luffy!" she called up at him. "Didn't you hear Sanji? There's food inside!"

Luffy looked over his shoulder, as if noticing the redhead for the first time.

"Oi, Nami!" he exclaimed. "Isn't this great? We're so close! The Red Line is right over there!"

Nami chuckled at his enthusiasm, but was a bit puzzled by his lack of response to the word 'food,' which was usually the most likely of any word to come out of his mouth with an astounding frequency, besides the more explicit exclamation of 'meat.'

"Don't you want dinner, Luffy?" Nami tried again. "The others aren't going to leave you anything if you don't hurry!"

Luffy didn't flinch.

"Can't eat now!" he said. "I'm too excited!"

Nami was almost startled by this. It wasn't everyday Luffy was so distracted that he put off the idea of a meal. But she knew her captain well enough to let him to his fun.

"All right," she said, heading back to the cabin. "But don't blame me when there's nothing left!"

"I won't!" he assured her, still not turning from his view of the choppy sea.

Still smiling insatiably when she returned to the cabin, Nami wasn't sure how to react when she was met with two anxiously expectant faces. A wave of tension washed over her as Zoro and Sanji shot anxious glances over her shoulder, but as soon as they noticed her distress, both looked quickly away.

Nami let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, but still didn't have the means to find her tongue until Sanji spoke up, his back still to her.

"So where's that rubber captain of ours?" he asked casually, as if nothing had happened.

"Said he's not hungry," she returned with equal indifference.

There was visible shock at this statement from all three men. Usopp dropped a handful of pachinko as he fell off the bench he had been sitting on. They were still rolling noisily about on the floor when he sputtered, "He—he—he what?"

Nami laughed at this predictable reaction, relieved that the tension had lessened considerably, and shrugged.

"It's to be expected, right?" she said rhetorically as she took her place at the table once more. "We've come so far, and it's finally in sight."

No one had to ask what she meant by 'it.'

Nami frowned as she heard an audible sigh come from Zoro. When she looked up, she was surprised by the look of relief on his face. She was even more surprised to find that even from behind, she could see that Sanji's pose went from tense to lax in an identical sigh.

_What's up with these guys?_ she wondered.

"Why did both of you look behind me when I came in?" she asked outright.

Zoro was a bit startled—and equally annoyed—that she looked directly at him as she asked this, but Sanji had his back to the group as he continued washing the dishes.

_Coward,_ Zoro thought at the blonde before directing all of his energies to defending himself from Nami's piercing glare. He looked away, setting his jaw stubbornly.

"Just didn't expect you to come back alone, is all," he mumbled, starting again with his reps.

"Without Luffy, you mean?"

The intensification of Zoro's focus on the far wall was enough of an answer for her.

"What?" she jested. "You thought I was going to come back and say he'd fallen overboard?"

It was like she had flipped a switch. There it was; the tension was back in full force. Nami jerked as if she had been shocked.

_They're really worried about that? _she thought, astonished.

She looked between Zoro and Sanji, both of whom pretended to be focusing on something other than her. She folded her arms and closed her eyes disapprovingly.

"And here I thought you knew our captain better than that," she scoffed. "I thought we all trusted him?"

Zoro whirled, his temper getting the better of him.

"Yeah, well that was before—!"

He quickly shut his mouth against the oncoming words, but the force with which they wanted to come spilling out simply built up in his head until his face was bright red and a noticeable vein had appeared on his right temple. He looked away in a huff. But Nami wasn't going to let this one go.

"Before what?" she demanded.

_It had to have been something serious to make them this paranoid, _Nami decided._ But what? Luffy's fine—isn't he?_

She cast a glance over her shoulder through the porthole in the door to the cabin that allowed her a view of her captain's silhouette, black through the rain, and still seated atop the lamb's head. She looked back at Zoro, who gave Sanji a pointed look in return.

Acquiescing eventually to both his and Nami's scrutiny, Sanji sighed and turned slowly away from the dishes, wiping his hands on a towel and lighting a cigarette, taking a long drag before beginning his explanation.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Guess what? I thought that first chapter was WAY too long, and was NEVER gonna be lived up to by the following chappies. It was making them all feel bad. So I cut it down a size. Now they feel better.

Support chapter self-esteem! Leave reviews!

...please?

Chapter Two

"He WHAT!"

Zoro, Usopp and Nami had kept their silence throughout Sanji's tale, but as soon as Sanji reached the climax, Nami jumped up from her seat and slammed her palms on the table. Usopp flinched back; genuinely surprised that the table didn't shatter under the assault.

Sanji took his last drag of the cigarette and put it out in one of the many ashtrays he had laying about the ship, trying not to wince under the vehemence of Nami's wrath. He had taken a lot of heat in all of the kitchens he'd ever been in, but none, in his experience, compared to the fire of a woman's rage.

"It's true," Zoro said, looking rather uncomfortable as well. "If it hadn't been for that freak storm, we'd be short one captain."

Not liking the weight of this conversation, Usopp laughed nervously in an attempt to alleviate some of the stress.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we've got an indestructible rubber-man for a captain, then, huh?" he joked.

There was a sudden flash of lighting, followed by a clap of thunder, undertoned by an unmistakable cry of surprise as the ship gave a particularly strong heave. All four hearts froze simultaneously.

Without knowing exactly how they had gotten there so quickly, the crew of the Going Merry were quite suddenly on the deck of the ship, and all eyes were on the figurehead at the bow—or rather, the lack of and occupant on it's crown.

"Shit!" Zoro cursed, swiftly kicking his boots off—one of them landing amidst Nami's mikan, the other planting itself firmly in Usopp's face—and making for the railing of the ship, preparing to dive in after his hammer-like captain, when he was stopped in his track by a familiar shout of enthusiasm.

Zoro barely had time to react before Luffy slingshot himself over the figurehead—which he had apparently grabbed hold of before or as he had fallen off—and crashed straight into the startled swordsman.

"Aa, warui, Zoro," Luffy grinned apologetically at the now-prone warrior.

Those simple words seemed to wash over everyone, restoring calm and restarting the hearts that had stopped. Nami and Sanji sighed in unison. Usopp was still trying to dislodge Zoro's boot from his face.

"You idiot!" Zoro barked at the rubber boy, who was still sitting on top of him. "Get the hell off of me!"

Zoro attempted to swat the younger man off of him, but ended up swiping at air as Luffy jumped up and to make his way back up to the masthead.

"Oi!" Usopp growled around a couple of missing teeth, grabbing Luffy by his vest and pulling him back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back up there," Luffy gestured to his favorite spot. "Where else?"

"Like hell you are!" Usopp said. "You almost fell in the water! You're not going up there again!"

Despite all of Usopp's protests—physical and otherwise—Luffy was making steady progress towards his destination, if a bit slower that he would have liked.

"But I didn't fall in," he pointed out.

"Luffy, just get off of the masthead!" Nami suddenly shouted.

Luffy looked over and stopped trying to climb up. He and Usopp were frozen in mid-struggle.

"Oi, Nami," he whined. "Why are you so mad all of a sudden?"

Usopp saved her an excuse by whapping him over the head with his fist.

"Because you almost fell in, baka!" he spat. "What would we have done then, huh!"

"But I didn't fall in," Luffy said again.

"But you could have!" Usopp replied, hitting him again so that Luffy lost his balance in the ship's rock.

Usopp was suddenly seeing stars as Nami's fist made contact with his head.

"Don't hit him, stupid!" she yelled at him. "Then he might _really_ fall overboard!"

"Yeah!" Luffy said indignantly.

Nami's fist found a new target and Luffy was soon cradling a second lump.

"You shut up!"

"Oi," Usopp griped. "Didn't you just tell me not to hit him?"

In a matter of seconds, he had a second lump to match his captain's.

"Lesson learned…" he mumbled submissively.

"Good," Nami said, apparently satiated.

"Hey, I think there's some meat left over from dinner," Sanji said. "Why don't you go look, Luffy?"

"Meat?" Luffy echoed enthusiastically. Nothing more needed to be said. He rushed off to the cabin, Usopp on his heels. Zoro followed a bit more slowly—still in the process of pulling his boots back on and grumbling bitterly on the way.

Nami watched them all go, and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She had forgotten Sanji was still standing there until he spoke.

"Kind of makes you realize that he's really mortal, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nami said thoughtlessly. Then she shook her head quickly. "I mean—no way! Are you kidding me? That kid is practically indestructible; if his body's half as hard as his head, we've got nothing to worry about."

Sanji's smile was unexpectedly tender as he watched her try to correct herself.

_Nami's so cute when she's flustered!_ he thought blissfully.

"Let's go inside," he said, attempting to put a shielding arm around Nami. "I wouldn't want my dear Nami-san to catch a cold!"

Nami feigned him off with a laugh.

"Don't worry so much, Sanji!" she said, already making her way up the steps to the cabin. "I'm fine. Come on."

Sanji bounded weightlessly after her. "HAAI, NAMI-SAN!"


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Hey all! Sorry for the wait, but it could be helped; tried taking this story through a chapter that didn't need writing and found myself in a writer's lockdown for a week, so Kieri and I decided it would be better to simply move on.

Please enjoy the next chapter; the next update will come sooner than the last, so I hope that makes up for the pathetic length of this installment.

Until next time!

—Koru-chan

PS: Remember that last time when I said there would be nine chapters in this thing? Well, I lied. It's more like five chapters. But that's only in this issue—never fear, for there is more to come! With pairings! Sweet mother of hamstrings!

Yeah, I'm a liar. You should hate me. Kieri does.

* * *

Chapter Three

Despite the length and the weight of the night behind them, the three pirates stood tirelessly against the coming dawn, almost anxiously awaiting the telltale bump that would mark their docking in a rocky lagoon nearby Logue.

Not a word was spoken as Sanji went to work anchoring, and Nami and Usopp leapt swiftly from the deck to shore, taking off towards town.

It was a welcome relief to stretch their legs over land once more; although they were still tired from the chase given at the docks mere hours ago as well as the sleepless night they had endured afterwards, they had spent it both pacing restlessly. No matter their methods of persuasion, they could not get Sanji to speak of what he had seen in Logue after they had repossessed the Going Merry from the hands of both Buggy's lackeys and the Marines. He had even shrugged off Nami's touch when she insisted she treat his wounds from his earlier battle with the pursuing Marines.

Both she and Usopp had been worried from the moment Nami had called out to him from the drifting vessel.

"What about Luffy and Zoro!" she had shouted over the rain.

When Sanji didn't reply, Nami had felt her heart seize in her chest.

_It couldn't be…_she thought.

Just as Usopp had been about to ask again, though, Sanji had been attacked by the Marines that were pursuing the Going Merry. Spared a reply to his crewmates, Sanji turned to retaliate.

Nami and Usopp stood frozen aboard the ship, each contemplating what his silence could possibly have meant; each combating the thoughts with their own forms of denial. Usopp didn't even think to use his slingshot to aid Sanji, but the cook didn't seem to care; he dealt kick after furious kick to his surrounding assailants, uncaring of the damage he did—to himself as well as his attackers. By the time he had finished and swam to the ship, he was bleeding from numerous wounds all over his body. Usopp and Nami helped him almost numbly downstairs to the boys' room. Usopp went back to the deck to watch for their other crewmates, whom Usopp claimed were bound to come in soon, while Nami went to find something to treat Sanji's wounds with, reminded as she had been before of their need for a doctor.

The night that had followed the episode had taken its toll on both the navigator and the liar, but neither would admit to themselves the implications of Sanji's silence. They would only be satisfied if they could see it for themselves; what they expected to see—what they hoped to see—they could only guess, but neither had any desire to.

They split up once they reached the town and spent a better part of the morning searching the streets for any sign of their lost comrades.

After a while, Usopp found that there was no other part of the western side of the city he had not checked aside from the square that displayed the execution platform. Wondering if he had avoided it subconsciously, he made his way there on heavy feet. The chaos and crowds of the former day had dissipated since the storm. Grey clouds still hung in the sky, but no threat of rain kept the townspeople indoors. Usopp tried his best to shut out their gossip by pulling his bandana over his ears, and tried to convince himself that it worked, but even an accomplished liar cannot lie to himself. This was made painfully clear to him as he laid eyes on the platform suspended forty feet above the square.

* * *

_Where?_ Nami wondered frantically as she cast her gaze through alleyways and main streets alike for a white katana or a red vest. _Where could they be?_

_Well,_ she though to herself. _Considering both of their navigational skills, it's likely they've gotten themselves lost and are looking for us on the other side of this godforsaken island._

She tried laughing, but it came out as hollow, so she decided to stick to inner dialogue.

_Where would those two be without me? _she went on._ Certainly not anywhere near—_.

Her thoughts were cut short as she spotted the green-haired swordsman leaning on his side against an alley wall, his back to her.

Overjoyed to see him—though she would never admit it—Nami ran up to him.

"Oi, Zoro!" she called. "Where have you been, you stupid—!"

She was stopped again when she caught a glimpse of something over his shoulder. She swallowed hard, and suddenly wished that she had not called out to him; that he would not turn around; that he would not show her what he held in his hands.

A straw hat.

* * *

AU: Heehee--confused yet? Don't worry about it. You're supposed to be confused as to the continutiy of the current storyline. But stick around--all shall be made clear in good time. 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hey look! An update! Yippety-doo-dah!

Sorry about how long it took. I've been under a lot of stress lately. And when you've got no motivation other than your fickle muse to write something, why do it, right? It's not like I'm getting paid, or being recognized. Nope—I must be doing this for myself. Oh, and for Kieri.

I guess that's okay.

Enjoy the next installment—I expect the next one to be out soon, now that my muse has decided to show an interest in One Piece again. But I'm a liar, so be careful.

--Koru

Chapter Four

Aboard the Baratie, the kitchens were bustling with life and warmth. Despite their earlier run-in with the notorious Don Krieg and his crew, Zeff had worked his men tirelessly to repair the popular floating restaurant, and business was soon booming again.

There at first had been some mention by their customers at the difference in the food now that the star chef had left the establishment, and of course this only reminded the crew of his absence, resulting in one or two dishes being served wet and salty, but after a few days, things went back to normal. At the moment, things were as normal as could be, with Patty and Carne fighting over the special finishing ingredient for a chili that was overdue to be served.

"Pepper!" Patty hollered at Carne, shaking a bowl of freshly-chopped hot peppers in his gigantic fist. "This chili needs to be hotter!"

"Cinnamon!" Carne spat back, gripping his shaker so hard it nearly cracked. "The subtle spice will make it perfect!"

"Pepper!" Patty growled.

"Cinnamon!" Carne yelled.

"Hey guys!"

The two pirate chefs turned around. In the midst of their argument, they hadn't noticed the slowly growing excitement around them.

"Look who's back!" one of their mates called them to a port window.

Patty and Carne looked at each other, puzzled, then set down their respective ingredients and shoved their way through the crowd of aprons and chef hats to cram their big noses against the portholes. Both mouths cracked wide grins at what they saw.

With a great whoop, Patty and Carne lead the cooks out onto the docking platform to prepare for the arrival of the familiar vessel, everyone cheering and hollering and waving their hats, aprons or utensils in the air—some were too excited to have realized what they still had in hand when they left the kitchen; one cook even came out with a gigantic caesar salad, which he tossed into the air and caught expertly as it fell.

"What's all this about!" Zeff's voice bellowed over the cheering as he came lumbering out onto the deck, bringing with him a pot of burnt chili. "Why aren't you in the kitchen!"

The cooks were spared a response as Zeff spotted the source of all the commotion. A small boat sailed swiftly towards the Baratie, its largest sail painted with an unmistakable insignia—that of a pirate's skull and crossbones, the skull smiling and topped with a straw hat.

He watched for a while, as if unsure what he was seeing. A smile tugged for a second at the corner of his mouth, but was quickly squashed by a frown of doubt. Something wasn't right.

He ducked his tall hat under the doorway and returned to the kitchen, taking the chili with him.

It wasn't long before the boat was close enough for the cooks to throw ropes out and lasso the craft to the dock. They all shouted up to their lost comrade, fighting hand over hand for who would get to him first and squeeze the life out of him with a Baratie bear hug.

"Oi, Sanji!" Carne called up. "Found All Blue so soon?"

"Get out here, you little shrimp!" Patty added.

The crew added their own catcalls to the clamour, threw out their fists and called Sanji's name, along with those of his crewmates. After a while, with no response, the cheering died down, until no one was making a sound.

The ship was silent.

But no—there was someone aboard. Something making a sound. It was high and wailing, like someone doing a bad job of playing the clarinet.

"Sanji?" Patty called up. No response. He looked over at Carne and they exchanged nods. The two loaded the gangplank and slowly, cautiously boarded the ship.

A few brave souls followed Patty and Carne onto what now appeared to be a ghost ship. They all looked around cautiously, but no one was in sight. Exchanging another set of nods, Carne and Patty split up to check out the boat, a few cooks behind each of them.

Carne headed over to the bow of the ship, where he came upon no one up to the masthead, which seemed oddly out of place with its gay smile and wide eyes. There was something missing from it, though Carne couldn't think of what.

"Carne," someone whispered apprehensively. Carne turned and the cook pointed out a figure shadowed by one of the ship's masts. He had been hidden by it when they boarded. Carne thought he recognized the man, but he wasn't sure. He had something in his hand.

Carefully, Carne made his way over to the seated figure, his small band of comrades at his back. He came right up to him, but he didn't move. Carne knew this man. Or, he thought he did. But was this the same green-haired swordsman they had met not long ago?

"Zoro?"

The man didn't move. His head was bowed over and he appeared to be sleeping. This wouldn't have surprised Carne, but when he bent over, he saw that his eyes were open. They stared, sunken and unblinking, at the straw hat he held in his hand, his usually strong grip almost tender against the worn, yellow brim.

"Hey, Carne!" a cook called down in as quiet a tone as he could muster. He waved to the others to come up and have a look at the kitchen.

Carne took another look at the reclusive swordsman, but seeing there was nothing he could do, he headed up the stairs to the top cabin. The cook who had called him pointed in an almost frightened way into the room. He was in obvious awe of what he had seen. Unsure about this, Carne tiptoed into the room, and was immediately relieved to see the familiar blonde head.

"San—!"

The cook caught Carne by the shoulder, who looked around at him. The cook shook his head and pointed again, as if instructing him to take a closer look. When he did, he wished he hadn't.

Sanji's hair was a rumpled mess, his clothes caked with salt and torn from battle. One of his shoes was missing. Before him, he slowly shuffled a skillet over the stove. The movement was sluggish and half-aware, like he was set on auto-pilot and was running out of power. The stove had long since run out of gas, and the contents of the skillet were burnt beyond recognition.

_This isn't right,_ Carne decided. He strode forward and put a hand on Sanji's shoulder.

"Sanji?"

The blonde practically crumbled under the weight of Carne's hand, his head tilting uncomfortably to one side and cracking from stiffness. He leaned over and turned around.

"Hi, guys," he croaked, his lips dry and cracked. "I didn't know you were going to come. I should have made more eggs…."

He turned back to his skillet and observed the black mess as though seeing it for the first time.

"Whoops," he said absently. "Better make some more. These are no good."

It took some work to unclench his fingers from the handle, and Carne could practically see the dead skin peal off of Sanji's hand as he detached himself and made for the fridge. One step, however, and he simply fell over. Carne and the others were there to catch him.

Sanji was suddenly face-up, and looking at everyone's concerned expressions. His eyes, once half-dead and distant, suddenly moistened and closed tightly shut. He put a hand to his face and gritted his teeth. He couldn't say anything else as the cooks looked between themselves in puzzlement.

Above them, Patty and his boys were having no better luck. They had followed the sounds of the badly-played clarinet up to the helm, where they found the sharpshooter slumped over the wheel, blubbering ceaselessly. He came out of it briefly when Patty tapped him on the shoulder.

Usopp looked up at the big cook with round eyes that were flooded with tears. Patty and the others took a step back.

"What happened?" Patty asked.

Usopp opened his mouth a little and made a tiny squeak, then tried to close his mouth again, but only managed in drawing his lower lip to his upper, the corners of his mouth open in an expression of uncontrollable grief. Then he opened his mouth wide and wailed, tears splashing over the crew, who tried unsuccessfully to shelter themselves and soon fled.

As they came down off the landing, they nearly ran into Carne and his crew, who were supporting Sanji as they made their way slowly back to the gangplank.

"Sanji!" Patty shouted, barreling over to him. "Are you all right? What happened to you?"

"I'm…I'm all right, Patty," Sanji said wearily. "Check on the others."

He lowered his head so that his unruly blonde hair could cover both eyes.

"I haven't been doing my job very well, so they're probably in need of food and water."

"I'm on it," Patty said, and sprinted back to the Baratie, the others who were not helping Carne carry Sanji right behind him.

They didn't even make it into the kitchen before Zeff emerged with a sack of provisions and a large jug of water.

"What has that little eggplant done now?" he grumbled, trumping up the dock on his wooden leg. Patty and the others followed in silence as Sanji was slowly assisted down the gangplank. Zeff stopped in front of them. Sanji wouldn't look him in the eye.

Zeff hauled a cup out of the bag over his shoulder, then shoved the bag at Patty and poured a cup of water, offering it to Sanji.

"Drink."

Sanji just ducked down lower.

"I don't deserve it," he half-whispered.

"Drink it!"

Sanji looked up at Zeff with bloodshot eyes underlined by dark shadows. Zeff's expression remained unchanged. Sanji slowly took the cup, but Zeff knew he wasn't strong enough to hold it himself, and helped him tip it to his lips until he'd drained it, then tossed the cup to Patty.

"Get him some food," Zeff told Carne.

"Yes, sir!" Carne saluted, Sanji's arm still over his shoulder. He and the other men carted Sanji through the kitchens and to the cook's mess hall while Zeff boarded the Going Merry.

It was hard to get water into the bawling sharpshooter—he would barely stop crying long enough to drink, and once the drink was in him, he'd just cry it all out. The swordsman was even harder—he wouldn't drink at all. It was as if he had turned to stone. Zeff had Patty pick him up to carry him back to the Baratie, but once he was on his feet, Zoro simply stalked off towards the kitchens, as if completely aware of what was going on, though his eyes never left the hat.

"Find the other two," Zeff told the other cooks who were still aboard. They saluted their Head Chef and scoured the ship for any more signs of life. Men climbed up to the crows nest and down into the ship's belly, looking for them. It was Zeff himself who found the girl in her map room below the kitchen. Unlike the others, she reacted immediately when he opened the door.

"So we've arrived?" she asked without facing him.

Zeff didn't answer at first. He didn't quite know what to say.

"Yes."

"Is everyone still alive?"

He was a bit taken aback at her casual tone, but he maintained his own.

"Yes."

Nami put down her quill, which was clogged with dry ink, and got uneasily to her feet.

"I suppose it's time to come out and face it now."

"I suppose it is," Zeff said.

Nami looked up at the chef and offered him a weary smile before walking passed him and stepping into the light, blinking and holding up a hand to shield her eyes. As she got used to the light, she saw the other men looking about the ship. She looked back at Zeff, who was still in the shadows. She, too, had circles under her lids, but her eyes were still sharp and intelligent, if not slightly red.

"You won't find him," she said.

Zeff didn't need to ask who she was talking about. There was only one man left to find.

Nami waited as if expecting him to ask why. When he didn't she dropped her head and turned around, then followed the other cooks back to the kitchens.

Zeff looked back into the map room. There was a near-blank sheet where she had been working. The quill lay still upon it, drained by the single word upon the page.

_No._


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hello all of our faithful readers! That is, all of you who are actually still reading this. Couldn't be that many considering the wait I've put you through. Yes, me; NOT Kieri. She's done nothing but help, and is the reason this chapter could be posted tonight! But really, if you want anyone to blame, blame my computer. It went and denied me access to my word processor for a month. So even if I had wanted to write for you wonderful people, I couldn't have.

On top of that, I actually finished this chapter about three months ago, but it was total crap—as Kieri helped me see—because I wanted to get it posted so bad I just rushed through it. This is a second draft. Hope you all like it!

Now, enough about me! Please enjoy the fifth chapter of Nightmare, from the Companion's Series!

PS: Neither Kieri nor I own ANYTHING belonging to Oda-sama. Nope. Nothing. Unless she went and stole something without telling me….

* * *

Chapter Five

Despite the navigator's assurance that he would not find what he was looking for, Zeff ordered a search of the Going Merry. What the cooks found only managed to confuse and disturb them more than they already were.

The rotting remains of a beautiful fish—known to all of the cooks as a rare Elephant Tuna, as it was a dream of many cooks to prepare such a delicacy—were discovered half-stuffed into an icebox in the hull. The ice had since melted, and the fish was spoiled.

"Sanji would never let something like this happen!" the cooks protested to Zeff. "How could he have gotten ahold of such a treasure and let it go to waste?"

"Sanji isn't himself at the moment," Zeff growled, glaring out of the porthole in the kitchen door at the table that had been set up for the four pirates. "Or hadn't you noticed?"

The cooks closest to Zeff flinched.

"What's wrong with him, Zeff?" Carne asked.

Zeff continued to stare out the porthole. He could only see Sanji at a profile, and his hair was in the way, so he couldn't see his face, but he knew it probably matched the faces of his crewmates. They were all grim and drawn, as if they'd gone a long time without sleep.

"I don't know," Zeff said. "But I am going to find out."

* * *

Zeff stalked out to the table, ignoring the wary looks of the few customers who had chosen to stay and attempt—as the rest had not—to ignore the aura of utter despair and despondency that emanated from the table at which sat the four pirates. He took a seat across from Nami and next to Sanji; it was as far as he could get from the long-nosed liar, whose tears were drenching the tablecloth. At least he had been crying long enough that his voice had given out; Zeff didn't think his remaining customers would have been able to stand the painful sounds that resembled that of a badly played clarinet. The long-nose in question simply stared dejectedly at his place at the table with sunken eyes. 

Zeff eyed each of the pirates in turn, trying to discern which he could get the most information from. He immediately ruled out the liar, followed at a close second by the swordsman. The green-haired man hadn't made a sound since they'd found him, and Zeff didn't expect him to say anything now. In any case, he looked distracted by something he had in his hands under the table.

That left Sanji and the girl. Zeff eyed the orange-haired navigator for a moment—she at least wasn't entirely unresponsive to the food that had been placed in front of the entire crew in an attempt to remedy the malnourishment they were clearly suffering from. But the movements that brought her fork to her mouth seemed eerily mechanical. She didn't taste it. Zeff was pretty sure they could have been feeding her sand and she wouldn't be able to tell. At last Zeff looked over at Sanji. Like the others, the blonde wouldn't meet his eyes, and seemed completely enveloped in his own thoughts.

Zeff was getting tired of this.

"What's going on here?" he grumbled. There was no response.

"Something isn't right," Zeff went on. "And I want to know what it is."

Again, no response.

"Where is that kid who ate so much?"

That got something—a visible ripple went through the group, making Sanji and Nami jump a little. The swordsman may have blinked, but Zeff wasn't sure. He was much too distracted by the renewed bawling of the long-nosed liar at the other end of the table.

So that was it. The rubber boy. Something had happened.

* * *

Zeff had decided that the time wasn't right to press questions on the pirates, and so left them alone after that. It wasn't long before Sanji found him on the decks of the Baratie. Zeff had been watching the sun set. The sound of metal and a familiar flash made him turn. Sanji was lighting a cigarette. 

_At least something's back to normal,_ Zeff thought with a little relief.

"I'm sorry," Sanji said.

"What for?" Zeff asked.

Sanji took a drag from the cigarette and blew out a long wisp of smoke. He took another clean breath in and Zeff thought he was going to reply. When he didn't, Zeff spoke instead.

"You don't have to say it if you don't want to."

There was another pause. Sanji took another drag off of his cigarette and let it out. Then he took a look at the cigarette, as if he was really seeing it. He watched as the tiny wave of fire crept up the cylinder. Ash dropped off the end and landed on the deck. Sanji put the cigarette between his fingers and flicked it out onto the water, then kicked the ash off of the deck with a casual swipe of his foot.

He didn't say anything.

* * *

By the time the crew of the Going Merry announced that they would be shipping out, most of the crew had made their assumptions about the absence of the rubber boy, but no one had the courage to actually ask the crew, and the crew made no attempts to confirm or deny anything. The result was an awkward silence as some of the cooks who had volunteered to help loaded supplies onto the boat. Usopp and Sanji worked hard enough so that little speech was expected of them, but the navigator and the swordsman were being constantly fixed with curious stares as the cooks passed with crates and barrels. Nami seemed to be able to ignore them for the most part, but every once in a while she would glance up and meet the gaze of one of the cooks. They would see the hardness of her gaze—the emptiness of it—and all thoughts of asking her would vanish. With Zoro, there was no such chance; someone said that he had climbed up to the crow's nest that morning while everyone was preparing to leave, but no one had the desire to climb up and check. 

From the docks, Nami oversaw the supplies and kept her nose to the wind. Even in the depths of her mourning, she could not ignore her strong sense of the weather; especially when she still had to get everyone safely through it. They had a nice headwind that would carry them swiftly to Usopp's home in Syrup, and she knew they would encounter no difficulties on the way. There was no hint of a storm, but there was still a weight in the air—something not quite threatening, but eminent, nonetheless.

"That's the last of it," Carne trumped off of the boat, dusting his hands, with the other cooks at his heals. "Do you need anything else?"

"We don't have far to go," Nami said. "I'm sure that's more than enough. Thank you, Carne."

"No problem, Miss Navigator."

Then a silence fell between the two. The longer Carne stood there, the thicker the air seemed to get with his unasked question. Nami knew what he wanted to know. Knew what he—what all the members of the Baratie—deserved to know. But she didn't have the heart—no, the strength—to answer it. Before he had the chance to speak, Nami wove her way around him and over to one of the lines that held the Merry to the Baratie and began untying it. She wasn't halfway through before another pair of hands entered her range of vision to take the rope from her shaking fingers.

Nami looked up into Sanji's face, still half-shaded by that lock of blonde hair. His one eye looked right at her, and at first she couldn't tell his expression. His exhaustion was, of course, most apparent, but there were different shadows that graced his features as well. It was a somberness that she had very rarely seen in the cook, and it only made the whole world more painful. She had to bite her tongue to keep a sob from leaking out.

Sanji could see the stubborn gleam in Nami's tired eyes and it hurt him and elated him at the same time. There was a strength about Nami that would never be phased—not even by this. It was that strength that made him love her as much as he did. But it was that strength that would break her someday. She would keep taking in and taking in and never letting go; never sharing her burden with anyone else because she would feel that she had the strength to hold it on her own, only coming close to admitting that she couldn't when she was all alone.

Sanji couldn't bear the thought of Nami alone.

He knelt swiftly, taking the casting line from Nami's hands and catching them between his own.

"Nami-san," he gushed. "Will you stay here with me so that neither of us are alone ever again?"

Nami was stunned into silence. The swift and almost comical return of Sanji's old antics was not quite unwelcome, but certainly unexpected. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips as she finally let go of the breath she'd been holding. For a few moments, she held Sanji's eyes with her own. She knew that, despite his uncouth antics, the cook's request was serious. And it was with as much surety that she knew what her answer had to be.

Slowly, very slowly, Nami bowed and shook her head.

Sanji's lovesick grin faded a bit, but he didn't let the light in his eyes die—he would hold onto that for her, no matter what. He wouldn't let her see all of his disappointment; the deep-seeded knowledge that he himself still had trouble coming to terms with.

"I'm sorry, Sanji," Nami said. "But we have to go home."

Sanji forced another grin and nodded.

"Home," he agreed, then stood and offered her a hand to her feet.

* * *

It wasn't long afterwards that the three pirates had taken their places aboard the Going Merry—Usopp surprised everyone, coward that he was, by climbing up to the crow's nest to make sure Zoro was there—and were pulling away from the floating restaurant. 

"Good bye!" called the crew of the Baratie. "Come back any time!"

Nami and Usopp waved from the deck, their smiles forced, but their well-wishes for the pirate cooks heartfelt.

"Thank you!"

When the Merry was halfway to the horizon, Sanji let his hand fall. A few moments later, his hand ducked into a pocked and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. Taking this as a subtle dismissal, the crew of the Baratie filed off of the dock and back into the kitchens. Sanji had gotten over halfway through the cigarette when Zeff spoke up.

"You handled that pretty well."

When Sanji looked over, Zeff quickly averted his gaze, as if he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"Usually when a girl rejects you, you go all to pieces," he added quickly, trying to rectify himself.

Sanji grinned around the ashen cylinder in his mouth and turned back to the horizon. He took a drag and let the smoke out in a long, slow breath.

"I never had her to begin with."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: Hey all! Kieri and Koru here for another update! Did you miss us?

I missed you!! XP

Sorry about the length of this chapter--but it was either this, or wait another week or so for a long update. I figured whoever is still reading (let's count the reviews...four of you?) might want an earlier update more than a long one. Unless I'm totally and irrevocably wrong?

Lemme know, you guys! Please leave comments!

Lurv Koru

* * *

Chapter Six

The mansion on the hill was graced with the sounds of a sunny morning. One of the wide windows on the second story of the house was thrown wide, inviting any stray breeze to enter and greet the girl inside.

The young blonde had her face to the window, listening with eyes closed to the slow movements of leaves in the tree that stood right outside, though memories of another voice completely drowned them out.

"Miss Kaya?"

Kaya turned at the sound of her servant's voice beyond her door, followed by a soft knock.

"Yes?" she answered brightly.

The older man ducked his horned head carefully into Kaya's room, and from his expression, the girl knew instantly that something wasn't right.

"What is it, Merry?"

Merry stepped slowly inside, seeming to stall for time against something he did not want to say.

"You must come downstairs, Miss Kaya," he told her, not wanting to meet her eyes. "There is someone to see you."

Kaya blinked in question. Merry never went without introducing her visitors. Who could it be that their presence was so ominous?

Understanding her servant's dilemma, Kaya rose gracefully from her seat on legs that were much stronger than they were a month ago, and went to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder and causing him to look up. She offered him a smile, and he smiled reluctantly back. Then the girl walked out of her room and made for the stairs.

Intrigued, if not a little frightened by the prospect of who might await her downstairs, Kaya made good time to the staircase that lead down into the living room of the great house. But the moment she spotted the person who awaited her in the foyer, her face burst into a grin and she flew down the stairs.

The girl instantly recognized the familiar tan bandana and wild black hair of the boy she'd seen off from the port a mere month ago. His back was to her, hiding his face from view.

"Usopp!" she cried, coming around the couch to get a better look at her friend. "What—?"

She was cut short by the look on the young man's face. Over his comically long nose, eyes weighted by time and trial looked out at her. They seemed to be mostly empty, but at the sight of his friend, Usopp's gaze grew a little brighter, and he managed the energy for a sad smile.

"Kaya," he said wearily, but happily.

"Usopp, what's wrong?" Kaya quickly took a seat by her friend, reaching for his hand. He took it and locked his fingers in hers quickly, as though seeking comfort through her touch. It wasn't the touch Kaya remembered—his hands were thin and strong as they'd always been, but they were cold now.

"What happened?"

Usopp looked up into Kaya's imploring face, then quickly down and away. He couldn't meet her eyes. Couldn't tell her what she wanted to know. But he also knew, just as surely that just this once, he couldn't lie. He couldn't say anything.

"Usopp, where is everyone?" Kaya asked, trying to get her friend to speak to her. "Why are you here alone?"

Usopp opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. He looked at Kaya again, and took a deep breath. He was worrying her. He shouldn't be doing that.

"They're at the docks," he said finally. "With the Going Merry."

"Why aren't they here?" Kaya asked again.

"I…" Usopp started, but wasn't sure how to continue. He was pretty sure he knew the reason, but he didn't know if he had the guts to say it. He took a breath, trying to will the words out, but let it out again and looked away.

"Usopp," Kaya said gravely. "Something happened, didn't it?"

The look Usopp gave her was all the answer she needed. Taking her friend by the shoulders, Kaya pulled him close so she could put her arms around him tenderly.

Wrapped in Kaya's arms, Usopp suddenly felt safe and warm and so absolutely home that he couldn't stop himself from burying his face in her shoulder and crying.

"It's all right," Kaya said softly as she felt his arms tighten around her. "You're home now. Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right."

Later that day, two figures could be seen walking up the hill from the docks into the town of Syrup. Light glinted off of the pair of goggles that sat on the sharpshooter's head as it bobbed up and down to the rhythm of his feet. Beside him, the navigator moved at much the same pace—feet heavy and wandering, almost as though neither of them truly wanted to reach their destination.

"Are you sure you're okay with giving the ship back to Merry?" Nami asked Usopp. "You seemed so attached to it."

"Maa, Nami," Usopp nearly groaned, the weariness in his voice partially because Nami had already asked him this question a number of times before. "It's fine! Really! It's not like I'll be too far from it anyway. What about those mikan shrubs you left on it? You've always said you only love two things—money and mikan!"

Nami laughed at her own saying. It sounded so weird when someone said it back to her like that. But Usopp could hear a hollow edge in the laugh, and it unnerved him.

"Consider them a present," she said. "Something to remember me by."

"I couldn't forget you if I tried," Usopp said.

They exchanged an almost nervous laugh—neither would be forgetting the other anytime soon, nor would they ever forget the time they'd shared on that ship. And for as painful as that thought was, neither of them wanted to.

It wasn't long before their slow trudge up the hill carried the two into the main town, riddled with the odd house or wooden building. The white house on the hill stood out against the green of the surrounding trees and grass, and the two watched it approach for a little while before Nami turned away.

"You sure you don't want a ride back to Kokoyashi?"

Nami swung a half-hearted fist in Usopp's direction.

"Stop asking me that!" she said with mock annoyance. "I'm perfectly capable of getting back to the island by myself! I did it for seven years, in case you've forgotten?"

"All right! All right," Usopp conceded with a grin, putting his hands up defensively. "Never mind."

Suddenly, the two found themselves standing before a small wooden cabin just off of the main road. It was so quiet and solitary that the two could tell it hadn't been used in a while. The step was unswept, the windows dirty, and a couple of shingles were coming off of the roof. Usopp looked it all over with a craftsman's careful eye, then gave the place a grin.

"No place like home, eh, Nami?" he said, stepping up to the door and letting himself in.

"Yeah," she said softly, following behind.

The inside wasn't much better than the outside. A fine coat of dust lay over just about everything, but at least it looked as though it had been left in some kind of order. Usopp wandered about the room, gazing appreciatively at everything, when he spotted the bed. He stopped to consider it, and Nami watched as he became almost uncharacteristically pensive.

"Usopp?" she finally asked. "Are you all right?"

There was a second's delay before the long-nosed youth turned to face her with a forced grin.

"Of course," he said. "I'm fine."

When he opened his eyes, he knew that Nami wasn't buying it. He let the grin fall and became serious.

"It's not the ship," he said. "But it's my home."

Nami sighed. The pain was still there, and always would be, but as long as they had their homes and loved ones to hold on to, everything would be all right. Someday.

She stepped forward and put her arms around Usopp in a tender embrace, which he returned readily.

"I'll miss you," she said.

"I'll miss you, too," he said.

Nami gave him a squeeze and pulled back.

"Come and visit any time, okay?" Usopp said.

Nami rubbed at her face, in hopes of catching any tears before they fell.

"All right," she said. "You come visit me, too. I'm sure everyone at Gosa would love to see you."

"They'd love to see you more, I'll bet," Usopp told her, placing a hand at her shoulder and steering her towards the door. "You should get going."

"Yeah," she laughed at the gesture, but it was still hollow.

Suddenly, they were on either side of the threshold, facing each other.

"G-good-bye," Nami managed, cursing herself for the stutter.

"Good-bye, Nami," Usopp returned. Then, slowly, she turned away, and he palmed the door closed, stopping for a moment to watch her back receding down the road. When she didn't turn around, he closed it and pressed his back to the door, then slid to the floor, face in his hands.

He didn't know how long he sat like that before an odd tapping caught his attention. Looking up, he saw three familiar faces at the window. They all waved three small hands enthusiastically when he spotted them. He could hear their laughter through the glass. It wasn't hollow.

When Usopp opened the door to admit the three, they tackled him instantly.

"Captain!" they cried. "Captain, you're back!"

"Did you have a great adventure?" Piman sat on Usopp's stomach, looking him right in the face.

"Did you fight lots of bad guys?" Tamanegi pulled himself up over Piman's shoulder to stick his head in the interrogation

"Did you bring us anything?" Ninjin attempted to copy Tamanegi, but lost his balance and toppled the whole crew, the three rolling off of Usopp and onto the floor.

Once air had flooded back into Usopp's lungs and he was allowed to pant for a couple seconds, he was quickly overcome by laughter. It was contagious, and soon all four boys were rolling on the floor.

"Man," Usopp said finally, wiping at his eyes. "I missed you guys."

"We missed you too," Tamanegi said. The other two nodded enthusiastically.

"You can't be pirates without a captain!" Ninjin said.

"That's right!" Piman added. "We haven't been able to go on any good adventures without you around!"

"It was boring," Tamanegi said.

"So, what kind of adventures did you have?" Piman pressed.

"Yeah, tell us about them!" Ninjin added.

"Please?" Tamanegi begged.

Usopp was almost surprised to be thrown so soon into the rhythm of his previous life, but knew that this was what he had to do. He was home now, where he was the Captain of Usopp's Pirates, storyteller for the most beautiful girl on the island, and a liar. He wasn't a pirate anymore. You couldn't be a pirate without a captain.

"Well," Usopp threw out his chin and raised a dramatic eyebrow, falling quickly into his usual dramatics. "When we went after Nami, we came to the island and were instantly captured by gyojin!"


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Wow. Yikes. General exclamations of shock and disgust like that there.

How long has it been since out last update? Over a year, you say? No, that couldn't be true. Could it?

I wanted to update earlier; I really did. But I'm a busy college student, and other convenient excuses.

I'll just shut up now and let you read the chapter.

—Koru-chan

PS. Told you I was a liar.

Chapter Seven

It had taken all Nami had not to turn around and wave goodbye to Usopp one last time as she crested the hill that sloped down into the water. Now, with the warmth of the sun's setting rays still on her skin, even the slightest breeze felt bone-chillingly cold, each rattling branch and bending blade of grass was the world's way of mocking or threatening her.

She had never felt so alone.

The navigator hugged herself around the shoulders, trying to keep herself together while she fell apart at the seams.

This was it? This was the end? How could it be? It was too soon! They'd only just begun their adventure—only just begun to know each other. It was too cruel!

The docks loomed into view as Nami rounded the final bend. Wooden posts jutted from the water like tombstones, the tide lapping at the shore as if eager to draw her out to sea. The wind picked up and whispered to her of a steady breeze that would carry her to safer shores. She gripped her arms tighter and tried not to listen.

Two skiffs with red sails bobbed nearby, each carved with their own tiny helms, a testament to the shipwright who had gifted them to the two remaining pirates of the dissolved crew. The one other was already on the dock.

Zoro stood against the painted sky, a shadowed silhouette. It looked as though he had his back to Nami, but she couldn't tell until she'd stepped out onto the dock herself.

She had thought the sound of her shoes on the old wooden planks would be enough to announce her presence, and didn't bother speaking, but soon began wondering if that had been enough. The swordsman swayed gently with the placid churning of the water beneath his feet, hunched over, arms collected before him, as though he held something in his hands. Nami couldn't make out what it was.

"_Well,_" she thought about saying. "_I guess this is it."_

Even in her mind, she couldn't make her voice stop shaking.

"_Good bye, Zoro_," she tried again. "_I'll miss you."_

That just seemed shallow and stupid.

"_Farewell,"_ she considered. "_I hope you achieve your dreams."_

That was even worse—it brought to mind the one person whose dream could now never come true. The dream of the one they'd lost. The dream that had started it all.

Zoro moved. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. He saw Nami standing there and turned around. Finally, she could make out what he held in his hands—the straw hat. She wondered briefly if he had put it down since Logue.

The swordsman shifted again, lifting one heavy boot and placing it before him, then swinging the next around to meet it in a dreary shuffle until he'd brought himself within close proximity of the navigator. Both of their attentions were on the item in his hands, so his voice, so deep and rich in contrast with the gentle rasping of the surf, startled her when he spoke.

"I think," he said very slowly, holding the hat out towards her. "He would have wanted you to have it."

Nami looked up, finally meeting Zoro's eyes. They were hard to discern with the sun at his back, but she thought the shadows might have formed a creased brow; a downcast mouth. She took the treasure reverently from his hands, marveling at how much weight so light a thing could carry. Then, with the same air of veneration, he let go. The connection was gone.

It was suddenly all too much. The agony of severing her last hard-wrought connection to that world of wonder they might never again hope to find was more than the navigator could bear. Letting out a sob, she threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around the swordsman, burying her face in his shirt.

When the girl looked up again, the sun had set, and the sky above them was a darkening violet, the first hint of stars winking into sight. As she pulled gently away, she could feel that he had his arms around her, too; his chin had been resting on her head.

She stepped back and sniffed, wiping gently at her eyes. She could make out his expression a little better now—his mouth was no longer the grim line she'd seen earlier. And his eyes were set with an almost peaceful resignation.

For a long while, they were content to just drink in the sight of each other—as if they'd never get the chance again. Then, wordlessly, they both turned away and boarded their respective vessels.

Casting off was tedious but familiar, and before they knew it, they were both sailing off in opposite directions. A pair of red sails that grew smaller and smaller until they were swallowed by the hungry horizon, as if the dying sun had been unsatisfying.

When the last of the light had died from the sky, Nami could no longer distract herself with the patterns the water made. On a moonless night, she had only her own mind for reflection. This would have been merciful, if her fingers hadn't already memorized every contour of the straw hat she still held in her hands.

She felt him there, in its worn fibers. Its smooth resilience; its frayed ridges. Even the cloth sash that had been the exact color of his vest, as though he'd been made all at once with the hat already on his head.

The wind returned to her now, reminding her in cold tongues that it could guide her home; would keep her safe. But no—it couldn't save her. Not from this. It couldn't return to her what had been stolen.

She pressed the hat over her face, trying to shield herself from the persistent winds.

She could smell him there, too.

The remainder of her strength was sapped away by this realization, and she folded. Curling herself up in the bottom of the boat, face still hidden from the stars by the hat, Nami cried tears that refused to fall. She'd dried herself up on that dock—had expressed all the grief she'd had the strength to give. Now she was alone, and the only moisture she could feel was the salt spray that speckled her shivering skin.


End file.
